> Folk Music > Songs > The Kitchie Boy

The Kitchie Boy

[ Roud 105 ; Child 252 ; G/D 5:1048 ; Ballad Index C252 ; DT KITCHBY1 , KITCHBY5 ; trad.]

Alexander Keith: Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs

Rod Paterson sang Lord Gordon’s Kitchen Boy on his 1977 Greentrax album Smiling Waved Goodbye and on his 2000 Greentrax compilation Up to Date. He noted on the original album:

This is an abbreviation of Earl Rcihard’s Daughter (Buchan’s Ancient Ballads and Songs), the title changed to avoid confusion with track 2 side 2 [Earl Richard (Roud 47; Child 68)]

Helen Lindley sang The Kitchie Boy on her 2023 EP of rare Child ballads, Aweakening the Lady. She noted:

The Kitchie Boy (Child 252 Roud 105) is also known at The Bonnie Foot Boy and sometimes, like many other folk songs, Earl Richard’s Daughter. I discovered it whilst looking at other songs called Earl Richard’s Daughter, of which there are several with a similar general theme but all a little different, with some mentioning Robin Hood, some having the pregnant lady leaping over castle walls and some having Willie as the love interest!

In this version Earl Richard’s daughter falls in love with a servant called Willie and he gradually falls in love with her. They know they’ll be punished by the Earl if he finds out but the daughter (who isn’t named in the Child Ballad but whom I’ve called Elizabeth) hatches a plan to fool her father by sending Willie to buy a ship and sail on it for a while and then return looking like a lord so they can marry and have the child she’s pregnant with. So Willie sails off, lands in Spain and meets a rich lady who tries to entice him with riches. Willie’s a good chap, it seems, and refuses her then returns back home. The Earl sees the ship, doesn’t recognise the disguised Willie and invites him back to the castle with the intention of marrying Elizabeth off to him and making him his heir. Elizabeth doesn’t recognise Willie and refuses to marry him but he reveals his identity and she says ‘yes’. They get married, she has their son, the Earl is delighted but he never finds out the truth about Willie!

This is another one of the songs I found which doesn’t seem to be sung anymore. I found a partly rewritten version with notation in Christie’s Traditional Ballad Airs but in the end decided I’d rewrite the whole thing from all the versions of Child 252 and compose a new tune!

Lyrics

Helen Lindley sings The Kitchie Boy

Earl Richard had but one daughter, Elizabeth was she.
She loved the kitchie boy, Willie, though not of high degree.
“Come sit ye down by me Willie, come sit ye down by me.
There’s not a lord in all the land that I can love like thee.
There’s not a lord in all the land that I can love like thee.”

The loving looks the lady gave soon made young Willie bold.
And loving words the lady spoke his love did soon unfold.
She’s given him a golden ring as love between them grew.
Said, “If my father hears of this, he’ll punish me and you.
“If my father hears of this, he’ll punish me and you.”

“But I have a coffer full of gold so a ship you could acquire.
Then you could sail the raging sea, just like a lord or squire.
But please don’t stay away too long on stormy seas so wild.
Come marry me my dear Willie, so we can name our child.
Come marry me my dear Willie, so we can name our child.”

So Willie sailed away from her, a week but barely three.
He landed on the shores of Spain and met a rich lady.
“Come sit ye down by me Willie, come sit ye down by me.
And you shall drink the finest wine and eat delicious meat.
And you shall drink the finest wine and eat delicious meat.”

“I cannot leave my bonny ship to stay with you Lady.
To Elizabeth I must return, my love in my country.”
“Won’t you forsake your fair Lady and be a Spanish lord?
I’ll give you land in my country that I can well afford.
I’ll give you land in my country that I can well afford.”

“I must go to Elizabeth, for my love she be, and more.”
And he sailed his ship across the sea, away from Spain’s fair shore.
He sailed towards his own true love, a week but barely three.
A prosperous wind propelled him on, and home soon landed he.
A prosperous wind propelled him on, and home soon landed he.

Earl Richard saw the ship in port, he thought a lord was there.
For Willie had disguised his face, and tucked up all his hair,
He said, “To my castle will you come to meet my daughter dear?”
So Willie went off with the Earl to the castle which was near.
So Willie went off with the Earl to the castle which was near.

Earl Richard told Elizabeth, “I’ve a lord to dine with me.
I’ll make him heir of all my lands if he will marry thee.”
His daughter cried with flowing tears, “But I love dear Willie.
I cannot wed another man that I love less than he.
I cannot wed another man that I love less than he.”

Then Willie threw off his disguise and embraced his fair lady.
Elizabeth then smiled and laughed, saying, “Yes I’ll marry he.”
The two were married in a month, soon a son to him she bore.
Earl Richard never knew the truth; his kitchie boy’s now lord.
Earl Richard never knew the truth; his kitchie boy’s now lord.